As the number of COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh is increasing, as many as six family members of a lawmaker in the state have tested positive for the coronavirus. Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Sanjeev Kumar made the announcement that his 80-year-old father, two brothers, their wives and one nephew had contracted the virus.
With the new development coming to light, district authorities are sounding alert as the source of the infection to the six members is not yet to be traced.
"All of my family members who tested positive are stable and not having any complications. They are being treated in Kurnool Government General Hospital (GGH) which has all the required facilities, They will be finishing the isolation as per the protocol. We are also taking all precautions," Dr Sanjeev told reporters in Kurnool.
All of them stay in Narasingarao Peta in Kurnool.
"We are yet to establish how they got infected. We are examining all the sources," he added.
The MP spoke as there were several reports about his family members testing positive for the coronavirus. The lawmaker clarified what had happened, so as to prevent speculation.
The total tally of COVID-19 in the state reached 1,097 on Sunday, with Kurnool district reporting the most number of cases at 279. The district sawthe numbers rise as several people had returned after attending the Tablighi Jamaat event in New Delhi last month.
However, Vijayawada is also emerging as a major hotspot. As per the media bulletin released by the state nodal officer, a staggering 52 cases were reported in the last 24 hours from the city.
The state government has been aggressively conducting testing in the red zones, of which Krishna district is one. Red zones have been designated in Guntur, Kurnool, and Nellore as well.
With no deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the death toll in the state remained 31. So far, 231 persons have recovered and been discharged from hospital, taking the effective tally of the state to 835 positive cases.
Kurnool has already seen the death of Dr Kareem, a renowned doctor locally, known for treating his patients for just Rs 2.
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